GRAEME’S RUGBY ROUND UP

We played eight games. We won four and we lost four, we scored 195 points and we conceded 187. We scored at least one try in each game. We suffered no yellow cards and had, I think, just one warning as to conduct, under severe provocation. Six different captains led our sides, and six different vice captains supported them. Every player played on a winning side.

Each club or school or RFU we played beat us and lost to us.

• Mixed Maids sides won 20-7 and lost 36-16 to Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club XVs.

• Mixed Maids sides won 72-7 and lost 19-13 to St Brendan’s College XVs.

The opposition in these games were drawn from a mixture of U15s to U17s, we were told.

• Maids U16As lost to Universitario de Rosario U17s 26-19, and beat Uruguay U17s, who played two complete XVs one half each, 16-12.

• Maids U16Bs beat Universitario de Rosario U16s 31-29 and lost to Uruguay U16s, who played two complete XVs one half each, 51-8.

No-one, not even the enormous Rosario U17s, dominated our scrummage for a full match. Argentina may pride themselves on the mele ordenada but we held them, pushed them back and outlasted their stamina. We were however outplayed at the breakdown most of the time, the opposing forwards faster there and more organised in maul and drive. When we did get this right, which we did just once in a while, we looked good. But we lost the ball in contact too easily, and often played as individuals rather than as a team.

Except for the game against Uruguay U16s, when our players were clearly operating on empty fuel tanks, no-one ran through us. Our defence against both Rosario teams and the Uruguay U17s was simply awesome.

Apart from running riot against the weaker St. Brendan’s team, and a six minute blitz against Rosario U16s, our attacking play was much less effective than in our domestic season. Unfamiliar teamings and over-elaboration limited our impact. St. Brendan’s and BACRC both scored against us just by passing the ball quickly before contact, recycling, and patiently waiting for the gap or overlap to appear. We tried too hard and too often to run that dazzling move, or to make that devastating individual break. These things should be the startling exception, not the routine.

The best rugby we faced, and the best we played, was in Rosario. The international victory in Uruguay was admirable, and our result there a matter of great pride, but the level achieved by both our teams in Rosario was just way above anything in my experience. Every single player who played that day, on a winning side or not, played the game of their life. For the “B team” to beat that opposition, in that manner, was the highlight of my tour.

Necessarily these are broad brush comments, and only my opinion. If you don’t agree, write your own blog. Or buy me a pint and argue with me.